Personal Defense World
  • News
  • Guns
    • Handguns
    • Rifles
    • Shotguns
    • Class III & More
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Optics/Lights
    • Safes
    • Suppressors
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • First-Time Shooters
    • Home & Self-Defense
  • Videos
    • Latest Videos
    • PDW Videos
    • Free Gun Friday
    • SCCY Brand Videos
    • Video Series
      • Everyday Carry
  • More
    • Sweepstakes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Personal Defense World
  • News
  • Guns
    • Handguns
    • Rifles
    • Shotguns
    • Class III & More
  • Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Optics/Lights
    • Safes
    • Suppressors
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • First-Time Shooters
    • Home & Self-Defense
  • Videos
    • Latest Videos
    • PDW Videos
    • Free Gun Friday
    • SCCY Brand Videos
    • Video Series
      • Everyday Carry
  • More
    • Sweepstakes
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Personal Defense World
No Result
View All Result
 
New Year, New FREE GUN FRIDAY! Enter to WIN the Smith & Wesson and Black Hills package.

6 Tips For Cleaning Your Rifle Bore

Bryce M. Towsley by Bryce M. Towsley
November 29, 2017
in Guns, Rifles
0
rifle, rifles rifle bore

Cleaning your rifle may seem like a tedious chore, but it is an absolute necessity if you want to retain and protect the performance of your rifle when firing your pet handloads. (Above) If you put in some time and effort into this process, the results will show on the range.

1
SHARES
34
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels
I start with a bore solvent that will remove both powder fouling and copper fouling. I make several passes using a new wet patch each time. Don’t scrub, but instead push the patch straight through the bore. You may want to let the gun soak a few minutes between patches to allow the solvent to work.
rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels, bore brush
Leaving the barrel wet with solvent, use a properly fitted bronze brush soaked with solvent to make several passes. Keep the brush wet with solvent, reapplying after every couple of passes. Don’t dip the brush in the solvent bottle, as this will contaminate the remaining solvent. Instead put some solvent in a long thin container like a test tube and dip in that. Don’t reverse the brush in the bore, instead push it all the way out of the muzzle then pull it back through. Always use a bore guide or muzzle guide to keep the brush centered at all times. After use, always clean the solvent from your brush with a degreasing spray.
rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels, gun
Let the gun sit for a few minutes to allow the solvent to work, and then follow with a couple more wet patches. Wait a few more minutes and run a dry patch through. If there is green or blue staining on the patch, it indicates copper fouling in the bore and that more work is needed. If there is a lot of fouling I’ll switch to a more aggressive copper solvent like Barnes CR10, but only after removing all traces of the first solvent, as they do not always mix well. Most aggressive copper solvents recommend that they not be left in the bore for more than 15 minutes. I wet a patch, run it through and let the bore soak for a few minutes. Then I follow with another patch wet with copper solvent, wait and repeat. The goal is to have no blue or green stains on your patches, indicating that there is no remaining metal fouling.

rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels, bore brush, brass jag
Remember, if you are using a brass jag, it can leave a “false” stain on the patch, although it’s usually on the inside rather than the outside of the patch so it’s easy to distinguish from stains from bore fouling. If you are unsure, use a plastic or stainless steel jag. When you have patches coming out with no trace of green or blue (it may take a while if the fouling is extensive), dry the bore with several clean patches.
rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels, bore brush, copper fouling
It’s possible to have copper fouling trapped between layers of powder or carbon fouling. I like to switch solvents with the idea that one might get the fouling that the other does not. But, again, it’s important to remove all traces of the old solvent before introducing a new solvent. Even after I am getting clean patches, I will scrub the bore again with the different solvent, using patches and brushes. I keep repeating this process with both solvents until there is no sign of blue or green on any patches after letting the each of the solvents work for five minutes. Sometimes it’s a fast process and sometimes it seems like you will never get the darn thing clean. But, until you can wet the bore with copper removing solvent, wait a timed five minutes, and then run a clean patch through with no green or blue staining, the gun is most definitely not clean.
rifle, rifles, rifle bore, rifle bores, rifle barrel, rifle barrels, bore brush, dry patch rifle
Run several dry patches through the bore to clean all the solvent. Then wet a patch with oil or CLP and run it through the bore a few times. Wait a few minutes and follow with a single dry patch. This will leave a microscopic film of oil to protect against rust. The result is that you will soon have your rifle back up to speed with your pet handloads.

When a good rifle suddenly goes bad and starts shooting patterns rather than groups with your finely tuned handloads, the first stop is always the cleaning cradle. More often than not that will correct the problem…at least the shooting end of the problem. Almost without fail, when I have encountered this in somebody else’s rifle, they insist to the point of confrontation that they “already cleaned it!” It’s gotten so when they bring it to my shop, I don’t bother to tell most of them what I did. I smile, hand them back a gun that is shooting well again and let them think I am some kind of a miracle worker.

RELATED STORY: Do The Twist – Calculating Your Gun’s Actual Rifling Rate

When a good rifle suddenly goes bad and starts shooting patterns rather than groups with your finely tuned handloads, the first stop is always the cleaning cradle. More often than not that will correct the problem…at least the shooting end of the problem. Almost without fail, when I have encountered this in somebody else’s rifle, they insist to the point of confrontation that they “already cleaned it!” It’s gotten so when they bring it to my shop, I don’t bother to tell most of them what I did. I smile, hand them back a gun that is shooting well again and let them think I am some kind of a miracle worker.

RELATED STORY: 11 Autoloading Rifles From the GUN BUYER’S ANNUAL 2016 Buyer’s Guide

Many shooters run a few patches through the bore and maybe make a pass or two with a brush and assume that they have cleaned the rifle. That’s often the equivalent of running your car through a puddle in the road and claiming you washed it. Even if they have scrubbed for days, it doesn’t ensure the rifle is clean. I once spent a week cleaning a badly fouled .17 Remington rifle, and was starting to think it was physically impossible for that much copper to be trapped in so small a bore. The truth is that a fouled bore is tough and time consuming to clean properly. Fouling is cumulative; each time that you fail to clean properly the fouling left behind is added to the collection and the problem is compounded and grows over the weeks, months or years.

RELATED STORY: How To Build Your Own AR Pistol

Running a few patches with some solvent through the barrel is not enough. You must clean the barrel down to bare steel and remove all powder and metal fouling each time you clean. I can’t say how many patches or how many swipes of the brush will be required to clean any specific rifle, nobody can. But I can tell you how to know when you are done.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS

Related Posts

Concealed Carry Holsters and More for Women from SHOT Show 2023.

Concealed Carry Holsters and More for Women from SHOT Show 2023

What Guns do you Want Santa to Bring You for Christmas?

Real Talk: Which Guns Would You Like Santa to Bring You for Christmas?

Win A Chance to Purchase and Authentic FN FAL Rifle Parts Kit.

Right Arm of the Free World: FN FAL Rifle Parts Kit Sweepstakes

Predator – M134 Minigun.

Iconic Scary Movie Guns Just in Time for Halloween

Load More

PERSONAL DEFENSE WORLD VIDEOS

Discussion about this post

FEATURED POST

Study Proves the Good Guy with a Gun Theory.

Good Guy with a Gun: Study of CCW Holders Stopping Mass Shootings

Following the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, gun control advocates have taken the anti-gun narrative to a fever pitch. They insist...

Read more

TRENDING

The T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 Marker.

Train as You Carry with the T4E S&W M&P9 M2.0 Marker

...

Taurus 605 TORO and 856 TORO Revolvers.

Taurus Releases New Optics Ready 605 TORO and 856 TORO Revolvers

...

pocket pistol, pocket pistols, concealed carry handguns, concealed carry handgun, concealed carry pistol, concealed carry pistols

Best Pocket Pistols for Personal Defense [2022]

...

concealed carry, concealed carry handguns

Top 13 Compact 1911 Handguns for Concealed Carry

...

PICK A CATEGORY

CONCEALED CARRY SPOTLIGHT

gun drawing tips techniques

Tips & Tricks for a Fast Gun Draw

You have the right gun. Your cutting-edge holster is made with some lightweight, futuristic material. Your belt is even specially made to carry your...

CONCEALED CARRY SHOWCASE

The Best Holsters of SHOT Show 2023.

These Righteous Rigs Were the Best Holsters of SHOT Show 2023

The Wilson Combat SFX9 3.25.

Wilson Combat SFX9 3.25: Refined 1911 for Personal Defense

21 Red-Dot Optics at SHOT Show 2023.

21 new Red-Dot Optics Sighted at SHOT Show 2023

A Perfect Example of Why Gun Control Doesn’t Work.

15-Year-Old in St. Louis Proves Why Gun Control Doesn’t Work

Concealed Carry Holsters and More for Women from SHOT Show 2023.

Concealed Carry Holsters and More for Women from SHOT Show 2023

The Beretta 80X Cheetah.

The Beretta 80X Cheetah: Rounds Downrange Before SHOT Show 2023

The FightLite SCR Bandito Pistol.

Shot at SHOT Show: The FightLite SCR Bandito Pistol in 5.56 or 300BLK

Are Switchblades Illegal?

Are Switchblades Legal to Carry in the United States?

AMMO SPOTLIGHT

Getting a Jump on SHOT Show 2023.

7 Personal Defense Related Products to Start SHOT Show 2023 Early

SHOT Show 2023 is almost here and the anticipation is killing us. Of course, the staff of Personal Defense World...

site logo
Gun News, Gun Reviews, and Self Defense Tips

Tactical

  • tactical-life.com

Magazines

  • Tactical Life
  • The Complete Book of Reloading
  • Guns of the Old West

Facebook

  • Tactical-Life Facebook
  • Guns of the Old West Facebook

Twitter

  • Tactical-Life Twitter

Self Defense

  • PersonalDefenseWorld.com

Magazines

  • Personal Defense World
  • Combat Handguns

Facebook

  • Personal Defense World Facebook
  • Combat Handguns

Twitter

  • Personal Defense World Twitter

Shooting Lifestyle

  • BallisticMag.com

Magazines

  • BallisticMag.com

Facebook

  • Ballistic Magazine Facebook

Twitter

  • Ballistic Magazine Twitter

Alpha Lifestyle

  • SkillsetMag.com

Magazines

  • Skillset

Facebook

  • Skillset Magazine Facebook

Twitter

  • Skillset Magazine Twitter

Instagram

  • Skillset Magazine Instagram
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Policy
© Athlon Outdoors, All Rights Reserved.
You use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and awareness of the California Privacy Rights. Pursuant to U.S. Copyright law, as well as other applicable federal and state laws, the content on this website may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, without the prior, express, and written permission of Athlon Outdoors.

Manage your GDPR consents by clicking here. Manage your CCPA consents by clicking here.
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Guns
    • View All Guns
    • Handguns
    • Shotguns
    • Rifles
    • Class III & More
    • Sponsored
  • Gear
    • View All Gear
    • Accessories
    • Ammo
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Optics/Lights
    • Safes
    • Suppressors
  • Lifestyle
    • View All Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • First-Time Shooters
    • Home & Self-Defense
  • Videos
    • PDW Videos
    • Free Gun Friday
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us

© 2023 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.